With the magically aided speed, Doxon rushes into the room, sliding to the ground through Ham's meaty legs, and springs up to finish running to flank with Ushyle.
He then swings Agrimmosh into the Betrayer with all his might.
Doxon underestimates the extra speed provided by Raen's magic and mistimes his swing a second too soon and the Hammer of Unmaking crashes into the wall, inches from Lokmarr's head.
Though the wail is terrifying, Vael and Tulia's resolve is strong.
Life force continues to flow from Vael to Hamilton and Ushyle.
The shaman says to his familiar, "Fly around. They need me." Starlight swirls around him, and seconds later he appears on the above floor. Tulia, for her part, takes zips through the air to reach the top.
Raen recognizes the fate that has befallen the Betrayer, Lokmorr has become a Broken Soul
It matters not, however, as Ushyle cuts him down. No longer do his wounds heal. No longer does he suffer his punishment. To the Boneyard now, where his fate may be worse than his punishment here...
Seeing the ancient dwarf fall, Vael breathes a sigh of relief. It's short-lived however, as life energy continues to flow to his allies.
The shaman then closes his eyes and centers himself. A moment later a burst of positive energy fills the area.
He continues to let the energy flow to his allies and keeps the flow of positive energy going.
And continues to pour how the positive energy to his friends.
With the wounds finally all closed, Vael slumps down to the ground. Laboriously he fishes around in his backpack, pulls out a familiar wand, and expends some of its magic.
"And this be why ye shou' never leave yer betrayer in a tomb. Thar be times when tha ways of Torag's followers confuse me. I'm sorry ta say that, Doxon."
Ushyle stares down at the fallen dwarf, breathing heavily as he does. His eyes search for any sign that the body is rising again. After nearly a minute, he visibly relaxes, the blade of Milani's Thorn dipping toward the floor as he begins to allow his focus to broaden again. Only then does he realize that Vael has knitted all the piercings and gashes about he and Hamilton. He gives a slight smile to Ham, then nods in gratitude to the brewmaster.
Ushyle carefully wipes Milani's Thorn clean and sheaths it, then meticulously goes about searching the slain dwarf and, after, the room.
Ushyle discovers quite the weapon, missued by Lokmorr, but now in the hands of heroes
sitting atop a cloud (worth 1,300 gp)
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WP Sigh and walks up to Ham and punches his in the arm, "That's for starting the fight without me." He punches him again."... and THAT's for nearly dying!" His anger quickly fades away and a look a concern takes it's place. "You ok? Vael, is he going to be ok?"
Vael grunts at WP,"Yes, Little One, He'll be fine" Pig, being satisfied, ponders the corpse of the Betrayer, "You betrayed your clan and your blood. You don't deserve this..."
With short quick strokes, WP proceeds to shave the beard off the dead dwarf. He collects the hair and finds a quiet corner while the larger folks patch up Ushyle and Ham. He takes some tread from his pack and gets to work. He binds a portion of the hair with the thread, braids it neatly and finishes it with one of the gold rings. He makes three of them.
He gets up and hands the one to Ham, "For taking the rage of the Betrayer."
He hands one to Ushyle,"For ending the dishonor of the Betrayer"
He takes the last one and hands it to Vael,"This is for keeping both of them alive."
He pauses, and smiles at each member of the party. "That was close." He returns to his corner and shoulders his pack."Let's not do that again,ok?"
From around the corner, the dwarven siblings peek their heads out. Umlo speaks up, "Is... is it done?"
Ingrahild adds, "You truly are the heroes of goodly kind. Champions! Now, let's take back these items of power and put them back to use."
Both dwarves reverently pick up the steelhand. "This.... this is going to require some serious commitment to use. But there is more down below."
The Nargrymkin siblings lead you back down to Steelhand's final resting place.
"Please, take these. We know he'd want people of honor and power to use them, especially if giants are threatening over the horizon."
Then begins the process of putting the items in order. Vedin ties Applejack and joins the dwarves in carrying it up to the noble horse. They make only one request, the golden beardclasp. They ask for that as a token of their ancestor....
The Tomb of Nargrym Steelhand:
The siblings also insist you take his armor, a magnificent and macabre suit of scale mail.... made of the fingernails of defeated giants.
Vael's eyes turn solid black, the usual telltale sign of spirit magic. He eyes the items that they've found, focusing mainly on Nargrym' steel hand.
Hamilton claims Heartspit.
If no one minds. It's too large to wield, but I can use it as a lance.
Doxon shakes each of the Nargrymkin siblings hands.
It was my honor to help in cleansing Nargrym's tomb of that traitor. Perhaps not more of our people will be able to visit and remember one of Janderhoff's greatest heroes. Thank you for letting us take his relics to aid us in the battles to come.
Ushyle warily eyes the trinket Whistle Pig offers, but accepts it with a silent nod and carefully fastens it to his cloak clasp. The sentiment is important, if unappetizing, and he wouldn't hurt his friend's feelings for the world.
If no one minds. It's too large to wield, but I can use it as a lance.
Mind? Ushyle says with a grin. Hells, I'd insist on it going to you. Good jousting!
The siblings reply to Doxon with an ancient method of saying thanks, dwarven words which hold an etymology lost to time.
The hand itself is beyond Vael's knowledge. Raen takes a look and she knows exactly what it does...
...but her face betrays a bit of frustration, because she also is pretty sure she knows what it would take to use it....
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WP sees the armor and quickly gets up from the corner where he was meditating.
"This is beautiful!" Pig goes over to Raen and starts talking very excitedly,"That armor, you know the one made with the nails? It's too big for me , but is there someway to magically make it fit me? Maybe just make it a bit smaller? because, I would LOVE to use that. It's PERFECT!"
Raen shudders. She knows the costs of these treasures, and a shiver stabs at her spine of the prices yet to come. A giant enraged by the sight of tortured deaths amongst its kin would crush the small halfling in a single stroke, the bloodstain a tiny mark on the floor.
She realizes she is staring, and looks away. Her eyes find the stairwell back to daylight. "Perhaps."
The party makes their way back up as the siblings shut the tomb. The remains of their ancestor are now back in a position of respect, and the weapons and treasure are in a position for use.
Ingrahild and Umlo converse for a bit before coming to the party. "It's time we part ways. We're not the adventurers you are, and it's time for us to take leave. We're both skilled in the ways of the land. If you want to use us for an errand or connection to Trunau, by all means."
Umlo adds, "The map puts the valley about 40 miles southest of here. You should be able to get there in 3 days. Good luck."
"If you make a list of supplies, we can get it to you on the road."
Raen knows that there's no forging needed, she just needs the magic components...
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As the twins take the final steps to reseal the tomb, Doxon takes a moment to admire Nargrym's Steel Hand. As a physical object, Doxon immediately recognizes the masterful craftsmanship that went into its making. In his mind's eye, he can easily imagine the dwarven smith laboring at the forge, putting all of her skill and faith into crafting what would be the new hand for the great hero. A sense of pride fills Doxon as he marvels at the Hand; his faith in Torag bolstered as he considers the gifts and blessings that the Father has imbued in his kin such that one could create a piece of artifice as remarkable as the Hand.
Growing up in Janderhoff, Doxon had heard the tales of Nargrym Steelhand from an early age. Awkward as a child with few friends, Doxon spent much of the time of his youth reading of the exploits of great dwarven heroes, Nargrym not the least of them. Tales of these heroes partially inspired Doxon to focus on the martial aspects of Torag's faith, to walk out into the world not with open hands but with closed fists to strike down those who would threaten Torag's children and their allies. Doxon was filled with a great sense of gratification to have helped in cleansing one of Janderhoff's greatest heroes, to have helped his kin reclaim their heritage so that it could be shared again with their brethren.
As the group prepares to depart and go their separate ways, Doxon approaches the twins. He puts his hand out to pause them, as he closes his eyes and takes several deep breaths to steady his nerves. With a last exhale, he looks at Umlo and Ingrahild and addresses them, his voice a little higher pitched and faster than normal as he tries to get his request out in nearly one breath.
It has been my privilege to assist you in reclaiming your ancestor's last resting place. Nargrym was as great a hero as any dwarf could ever hope to achieve. It would be my honor to wield his Hand in the battles to come, if I could have your blessing to do so. Torag teaches that no life is without sacrifice, but that we learn and grow from our ordeals. We are forged from our experiences and tempered by our deeds. I would like to carry on Nargrym's work and hope that my steel is enough to live up to his legacy.
To a nondwarf, the calm response of the siblings might appear insouciant. In reality, the Nargrymkin siblings simply possess a keen understanding of what is at stake, and what must be done.
Umlo takes but a moment to locate a suitable tree stump to act as a chopping block.
"The magic ought to bond it to your wrist instantly, but I can't speak for the pain you'll feel before then. May Torag fire the ore of your heart, and may this go quickly."
They stand ready....
Doxon looks to the others to see if there are any objections.
Raen, fortunately, is not watching. She is near the tomb entrance, staring forlornly at the macabre armor the halfling intends to don. She does not relish the coming task of weaving magic into the fetid fingernails.
Vael stands by Doxon. In Dwarven he says, "I can tell that you are committed. I am with you."
Ushyle, wide-eyed at Doxon's commitment, nudges Vael. How about a little something so he doesn't feel as much pain, brewer?
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"I saw something like this once back home. a Slave was caught stealing from his master." WP looks at Doxon with a grim stare."They didn't want to ruin him completely so they cut off his hand so he could't steal again. WP starts to collect a few things as he talks: a rope which he ties a slip knot in and a small piece of wood about an inch in diameter and 6" long. "But, if you want to do this I can help. I need to warn you it's not going to be pretty." WP looks at the group." we are going to need a fire..." He sets himself to preparing for the grim task.
"We can skip the fire Sir Whistle Pig. The hand should bond instantly."
Doxon nods to Umlo.
He takes off his armor and sets it aside.
He walks over to the tree stump, picking up a think bit of tree branch on the way.
Doxon kneels down beside the tree stump. He plants Agrimmosh head down to the side, places the bit of branch between his teeth, and grasps the hilt of the hammer in his left hand as he places his right on the top surface of the tree stump.
Doxon rests his forehead against Agrimmosh's handle, closes his eyes, and begins praying to Torag.
The cut BURNS. It burns with the fire of Torag's forge. It burns so bad that Doxon begins to pass out from the pain. Whistle Pig and Ingrahild quickly catch him while Vael and Umlo grab the bloody, spraying stump and push the Steel Hand onto it.
Eventually Doxon succumbs and passes out...
And half an hour later he comes too.
It worked. The hand moves as perfectly as his old one!
Ushyle stands vigil on one knee in silence over Doxon after he passes out, his eyes betraying his nervousness. Every few minutes he checks to make sure the dwarf is still alive, then returns to where he was before. His relief when Doxon finally comes to is apparent; and he helps him to his feet, avoiding the new hand as he is sure it must be painful.
Raen has been quietly tinkering with the fingernail armor, thoroughly grossed out yet consumed by the task. She turns to ask the halfling on the other side of the glade a question about his mid-morning girth, and stops mid-word to stare at Doxon. "What have you done?!" she cries, frozen in true alarm.
Doxon sits up. He shakes his head to clear away the fog that has muddled his senses. He runs his hand over his face and through his beard, as though to wipe away the fog, and he feels the cold metal pass over his skin. Memory returns to him and he stares at his new hand for a moment, flexing it into a fist several times.
He looks up and sees Ushyle's off-hand offered to help him up. Doxon reaches out with his left and is quickly back on his feet.
He looks around for Agrimmosh and sees it where he left it, by the stump of the tree. He reaches out with his new hand and grasps the hilt of the hammer. He holds it out in front of himself and then takes several swings with it. It seems a bit lighter than before. He spins the hammer and brings it crashing down on the tree stump, splintering it. Doxon is a little surprised. He's not sure he would have been able to do that before.
He turns back to the others. He gives a nod of thanks to them.
Thank you for keeping vigil. I have felt pain before and expected much from this deed, but it was quite overpowering. All seems well, though. Nargrym's Legacy has found a new home. I will endeavor to be worthy of it, killing many giants, he says, flexing the hand again.
He turns to WP. You pose an interesting question. I don't know that a trophy would be quite appropriate. I did not lose it in battle. But I could maybe see burning it and using the ashes in the making of some steel for a new pick or something. A little macabre, maybe.
But perhaps a fitting tribute to Torag, considering the sacrifice. Thank you for the suggestion, WP.
Doxon retrieves his hand, wrapping in some cloth and placing it in his backpack. It does feel odd to be handling his dismembered hand.
After two days of travel, and with survival skills on hand (and Applejack's ability to carry food that is competently cooked by Vedin) the trip is easy.
In a small clearing a few hundred feet from the stream, a wisp of smoke trickles from the chimney of a two-story stone cottage. Its front door has been bashed inward, its splintered panels hanging crookedly from a single hinge. Several large chips mar the exterior stonework and a sizable hole has been torn in the thatched roof. Loud crashing noises come from within...
On the first day of their travel, Vael takes a moment to chant over Doxon's severed hand. The magic he infuses it with preserves the limb. "Good fer tha next six days."
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"That's nae a good sign," Vael says, stating the obvious. "Let's prepare for tha worst."
He wastes no time calling upon his shamanic magic, temporarily bolstering his fortitude. He's reassured that the daily rituals keep a link between his life force and that of his friends.
With a look to Raen, the dwarf asks, "Do we want some stealth?"
"Veritably," Raen agrees. The shimmering veil covers the party.
This house looks like it was bombarded by boulders from afar.
As the party invisibly approaches, it becomes clear that the cottage is not abandoned. A creature from within speaks in Giantish:
"Where are you hume baby? I grow hungry for candy, and you're just what I want!"
Lumbering within the ruined cottage is, upon first impression, an enormous human with broad, thick shoulders and two solid, tree-trunk arms stretching down to almost drag on the ground. At further glance, its skin is a sickly, greenish hue and its eyes are pools of inky blackness. Its face is long and angular, with a solid, pointy chin and a crooked, hawkish nose, and its hair looks more like a mat of forest weeds and rests tangled and greasy on its heavy brow. There is an air of unsettled violence about it—its hands end in razor-sharp claws and its body seems taut and agile despite its size.
Hamilton calls out to the creature. Do you speak Taldane?
He looks to WP.
Do you know what it's saying?
Hamilton readies Heartspit and his cloak.
We need to hurry. It's looking for someone still in the house. We can't let that thing find them.
[spoiler=Giantish]
"GAH! Baby candy doesn't speak man tongue! Come! Come and let me eat a meal before my dessert!"
Doxon's words come right as the troll stops looking and drops into a ready stance, claws like blades at the ready.
Round 1:
Raen: Go
Doxon: Go
TROLL!: TBD
Vael: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Hamilton: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Say no more!
Ham slides off Applejack, dropping Heartspit. He pulls his scimitar and sets it aflame, moving toward the house as fast as he can move.
Misread my init. Guess I'm holding.
Doxon bellows out fierce, high pitched battle cry, a call for Torag's glory.
As the glow of divine energy suffuses his being, Doxon charges the giant, holding Agrimmosh high overhead and bringing it down through the window as soon as he closes.
Doxon becomes visible as he charges towards the window. Despite the cover it provides (and the extra thick hide of an older troll), Doxon's hammer smashes bone!
Round 1:
Raen: Go
Doxon: Hit
TROLL!: TBD
Vael: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Hamilton: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Troll: 24
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The blood quickly drains from WP's face when he hears the giants. the flash back to his encounter with the giants after his flight from slavery hits him like a physical blow. "Where are you Dinner? I know you are there. I can smell you!!". His fear turns to anger, his new found control on his emotions momentarily cracks.
"He's..He's going to eat them!!"the halfling yells at the group.
He turns to the giant,"You will NOT find a meal this day, you Bastard!" in Giantish. He finishes,"I will add your toenails to my collection!"
Raen decides that the spiky troll would look more graceful when gilded. A shower of golden motes bathes the monstrosity.
The troll, tougher than most, resists the illusionist's spell!
With Doxon being the only foe within reach, the beast reaches through the window to attack the dwarf.
But between armor, tradition, and cover from the window, all three attacks are for naught. Still, the wounds on the troll are already closing!
Round 1:
Raen: Glitterdust
Doxon: Hit
TROLL!: ATK
Vael: Go
Ushyle: Go
Hamilton: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Troll: 19
Vael edges closer, right to the edge of Raen's magic. He begins a familiar chant, causing starlight to swirl around Ushyle. Moments later, the half-orc is behind the troll!